Tell a friend about this article
Previous Article: AUD Advisor says AFL-CIO No Beacon of Labor Press Freedom
Next Article: Who
knows what in the Steelworkers?
Please give what you can.
AUDHome--> Union Democracy Review--> Articles
SUBSCRIBE to Union Democracy Review!
From the July 2007 issue of The $100 Plus Club News #107
The short way to get a union recognized,
Hank Miller Reminisces on Unique Approach to Organizing
With all the debate on the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make card checks a way to get unions to become bargaining agents for employees (rather than the current NLRB secret ballot process), AUD friend Hank Miller recently shared his recollections on how unions could be organized.
Hank began work as a member of Local 424 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters -- unbeknownst to Hank, a mobbed-up local. In fact, Local 424 was a rare local that was kicked out of the Teamsters union because of its mob connection. Jimmy Hoffa, Sr. didn’t want to mess with the local so he cancelled its charter and it became an independent union. Meanwhile, Hank learned that the union had falsely reported to the Labor Dept. that it held elections when there had been none, and after he complained to the DOL, an election was ordered, which, to his surprise, Hank won!
Under Hank’s leadership, the local developed its own method of organizing. While a typical union attorney might have advised the members to go to the NLRB and try to become the bargaining agent through an election, Hank’s approach was more direct. Calling the NLRB procedure “the long way," Hank recalls that the “short way” to do it was as follows. When workers did not have a contract, Local 424 organizers and the workers would go out in front of the workplace in the morning before work, standing in the street in front of the shop.. Miller, armed with a standard contract in hand, signed by the union, would tell the employers that the workers would not begin work that day until the employer signed the contract. He recalls that this approach “worked like magic.” Local 424 organized over 4,000 members, and finally joined the AFL-CIO in 1999, merging with Local 1102 of the Retail, Wholesale and Dept. Store Workers Union. Hank retired the next year, and speaks before various groups about his experiences.
Previous Article: AUD Advisor says AFL-CIO No Beacon of Labor Press Freedom
Next Article: Who
knows what in the Steelworkers?
This website is made possible by contributions from union members and supporters like you. Please help us build the movement for union democracy, join or contribute to AUD.
AUDHome; Legal Rights; Education; Union Democracy Review; Books; AUDLinks
Page designed by Matt Noyes, National
Writers Union/UAW, and Rachel Szekely
The Association for Union Democracy. www.uniondemocracy.org
104 Montgomery Street, Brooklyn,
New York, 11225; USA; 718-564-1114; info@uniondemocracy.org
This work is licensed
under a Creative
Commons License.
Use
the following credit line on the materials you use:
"From the
website of the Association for Union Democracy. www.uniondemocracy.org. Email:
info@uniondemocracy.org. 104 Montgomery Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11225; USA;
718-564-1114"
Please notify us at websteward@uniondemocracy.org when you use material from the site.
Send comments or suggestions on the website to websteward@uniondemocracy.org.